Preventive Immunotherapeutics in IBD: RFP

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease, remains characterized by high postoperative recurrence rates, with up to 70% of patients experiencing endoscopic recurrence within one year following surgical resection. While surgery removes diseased tissue, it does not address the underlying immune mechanisms that drive pathology, resulting in persistent mucosal inflammation and barrier dysfunction that triggers recurrent disease.

 

The postoperative period represents a unique biological window—before immune tolerance is lost and inflammation becomes re-established. This initiative supports immunotherapeutics-based academic research focused on preventing postoperative recurrence by training or reprogramming the immune system, rather than relying on chronic immune suppression.

 

Through this academic-focused RFP, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation seeks to advance translational, multi-year research on immune memory, antigen-specific responses, and immune regulation that may enable durable protection from recurrence and inform next-generation prophylactic immunotherapeutic strategies.
 

Scope | Eligibility | Funding terms | Pre-application Deadline | How to apply

 

Scope

Proposals should focus on immunology-based approaches relevant to secondary prevention of IBD recurrence following surgical resection, with an emphasis on shaping durable immune states rather than broadly suppressing immune activity.


Studies should be preclinical, using in vivo models of postoperative recurrence such as IL-10 null or HLA-B27 rodent models. Proposals can use organoid-based models by integrating patient-derived organoids with immune, stromal, microbial, and injury elements or through in vivo xenotransplantation in humanized (HIS) mouse models.  Clinical studies will only be considered if postoperative patients are already enrolled and consented, and an IND (where applicable) is in place.


Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Antigen-specific immune tolerance induction
  • Immune-regulatory strategies
  • Cell therapies including but not restricted to in vivo and ex vivo expanded Tregs, stem cells, CAR-T

Proposals must be grounded in human IBD biology and clearly articulate how the proposed work advances immune-based prevention of postoperative recurrence.

 

Eligibility

Applications are invited from academic research teams with complementary expertise in immunology and IBD. Each application must include:

 

  • One senior Principal Investigator (Professor, Head of Research, Associate Professor, or equivalent)
  • At least one junior Co-Principal Investigator (Instructor or Assistant Professor)

A multidisciplinary approach is encouraged, including integration of patient-derived data to inform and strengthen the proposed immune-based therapeutic strategy. U.S. and international investigators are eligible to apply.

 

For-profit biopharmaceutical enterprises, live microbiome therapeutics, and broad immunosuppressive strategies are not eligible.
 

Funding terms

$900,000 over three years ($300,000 per year, contingent upon achievement of annual milestones)

 

Pre-application Deadline 

June 30, 2026.

 

How to apply

Questions? 

For more information and questions, please email [email protected].